Going Like a Lamb to the Slaughter- Sept 14, 2009

Dear Family,

Hello!  How are you all doing?  I'm doing just fine here in Zuun Kharaa.  Today 
we went with our District to this cave in a mountain a few miles from the city.  
Apparently is was used in a movie made like 40 years ago as a hideout for 
theives.  The cave was like 20 feet big and it had a little table with benches 
in it.  I was expecting a big cave so I was a little dissapointed, but all it 
all, it was a good time going with the District on bikes out there and back.  we 
took some good pictures and if I can, I'll send them to you sooner or later.

This week has been good for us.  We've had some good experiences with the 
brethren-teaching them and getting them to fulfill their priesthood callings.  
That's one of the things lacking here in Zuun Kharaa, they don't even have 
someone to be the branch president--we have a missionary fulfilling that calling 
right now. But we were successful in meeting with some of them and getting them 
to church and strengthening them.

My new mini-missionary is awesome!  He's been a member for like 6 months but 
he's got so much faith and desire.  It's awesome to be able to work with him and 
teach him some of the things we do as missionaries.  He's like 4 years older 
than me, so that's kind of different, but when he goes out on his own mission, 
he's going to be a great missionary!  The sister in our District, Sister Howald, 
got pretty sick and got taken to the city to get her appendix taken out.  So now 
she's getting better but hasn't made it out here yet.

I got your package this last week.  Thank you SOOO much!!  And the journal is 
just the one I wanted.  I've made a commitment now to write in it every day so 
that I can remember all the great spiritual experience we have each day.  I have 
to apologize because when I sit down to write you e-mails, I forget what 
happened in the week.  But, I really just want to say that each week, each day, 
and each hour, as we meet on the streets and in the homes of these humble 
Mongolians, the Spirit of the Lord is with us and it flows through us to the 
blessing of this people.  I know that this work is true and I am trying each day 
to be a better instrument in the Lord's hands.  That's the only way to be 
successful here.

 Anyways, we've had a good time doing a lot of Mongolian things this week.  For 
example, I made Khushuur, a Mongolian classic.  I'll make it for you when I get 
back.  Also, we killed a sheep!  THat was a crazy experience.  Oh course, it was 
really manly and bloody, but, I gained a bit more understanding about Jesus 
Christ and His sacrifice for us.  It says in the scriptures that Chirst is the 
lamb of God and that he would go like a lamb to the slaughter.  Well, the other 
day, as we were serving one of the families in our branch, I had the opportunity 
to understand what that really means.  So, we got the sheep and dragged it over 
to the spot where we would kill it.  There we put it on it's back and held it's 
legs down.  Then my companion took a knife and slit a whole in his chest right 
below the ribs.  He then reached his hand in and disconnected the main artery 
that sends blood to the head.  After doing that, we just hold it until all the 
blood drains into the stomach.  The eery thing about it all is that despite the 
fact that we're slitting a hole in the animal, discconnected it's artery and 
killing it, it doesn't make that much noise at all!  It sits there, calm, 
complacent.  I don't know if it knows that it's going to die or not, but it is 
very stoic.  Of course, when you cut, it hurts a little, so it flails it legs, 
and then as the blood is flowing out, it lets out some small groans of pain, but 
to be completely honest, the majority of the time, it is silent.  And then it's 
dead.  As I held down the front legs, I got to witness all this and I couldn't 
help but see the Savior's Atonement in it all.  He really died for us, and He 
could have at any moment called it quits, and broken free from His pains and 
agony.  But he didn't.  He calmly took it upon Himself because, just like the 
Mongolians needed the lamb's meat to live, we needed Christ's life to live.  I 
don't know if I'm getting the sacredness of this event over through this e-mail, 
but it truly was something that taught me a lot and made me grateful for the 
Savior and His love for me.

I love you all and I'll make sure to write you some good success stories next 
week ok?  Keep up the good work and choose the right!

~Elder Cappuccio

-----Original Message-----
From: marathomom@aol.com
To: james.cappuccio@myldsmail.net
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:56:25 -0400
Subject: Hi from home


 Dear James,

Another week has quickly gone by. We went to the ward campout, but stayed in 
Jack's cabin which was just down the road from the big cabin everyone else 
stayed at. It was nice to get away from the heat. Before we went home, Jack 
took us shooting and taught Cali how to shoot a 22 rifle and a 45 caliber 
automatic pistol. She was pretty excited about hitting the targets and had to 
text her friends! She is way ahead of me, my first time shooting was at the 
police academy! I am very rusty and not a very good shot. Not sure how I made 
it through then....

Anyway, we are having the missionaries for dinner on Thursday, so I imagine you 
being feed by some nice family in Mongolia on Thursday night too. When I think 
of the scriptures about spreading the gospel to all the corners of the world, I 
think Mongolia has to be one of those corners, but then I also think about how 
you are gathering the good branches that have been scattered to the nethermost 
parts of the vineyard to help strengthen the church in the latter-days. 

We are going to Utah for Fall break and I hope we can get tickets to conference. 
I asked the bishop today and he said he would check. Joseph is going up with us 
along with Cali and Killian and of course Jack. Crystal will finally be moving 
into her new home. We went by and saw it yesterday and it was very nice. She 
has some work to do , but she has a big backyard and some nice trees. She just 
has to clean it and put in some new tile in the kitchen.

Hope you are doing well and that you get our package soon. WE love you and pray 
for you and all the missionaries.

Keep the fire burning!
love always,

mom